


An encounter in Bath

by Pearlislove



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Sarah Jane Adventures
Genre: Bill & Choclate Ice cream, Gen, Hugs, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Reunions, The City of Bath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-12-05 21:25:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11586483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearlislove/pseuds/Pearlislove
Summary: Bill and The Doctor decides to go on a little vacation in Bath. What they hadn’t counted on, was running into one of The Doctor's old companions in the procces.A Jo Grant and 12th Doctor reunion fanfic





	An encounter in Bath

**Author's Note:**

> A 12 & Jo Reunion drabble, exploring the similarities between 12 and 3, and what that means to Jo and the Doctor.
> 
> Canon compliant with the Sarah Jane Adventoures episode 'The death of The Doctor', which is also referenced in the story.

The Doctor had thought it was brilliant idea to take Bill out for coffee and cakes and maybe ice cream somewhere where all that stuff actually tasted good - which was not the cafeteria of st.Luke's University - and give him an excuse to use the TARDIS. They could even leave the ever-annoying Nardole and get some actual amusement out of the outing.  
  
Bill had been ecstatic, excited to see where The Doctor would take her and theorizing wildly about purple alien bars and markets on Metabilius III, a planet The Doctor had mentioned in the passing a few times. Needless to say, she had been a little disappointed when they'd only ended up in Bath, but she soon recovered, letting her disappointment go in favour of watching The Doctor enjoying himself.  
  
All had been going perfectly well, and it wasn't until they got a giant ice cream each from a tiny hole-in the wall cafe on a bridge that things started to happen.  
  
For as they stepped out of the shop, giant ice creams in hand, Bill nearly ran into a petite, white-haired old lady, and was only millimeters away from smearing her chocolate ice cream across the woman’s red scarf when The Doctor pulled her away.  
  
"Sorry about that, I didn’t see where I was going." Bill smiled sheepishly, apologizing profoundly as The Doctor held onto her arm like you would a disobedient child.  
  
The woman, however, did not give Bill a response to her apologise, entirely overlooking Bill as she instead focused on the man that had accompanied her. Her gaze was entirely focused on the Doctor, her eyes soon wide as saucers. "Doctor!" She breathed, her voice half-shocked, half- offended as she approached the man. "It is you, isn't it? Oh my god, you really look like him now!" The woman stepped even closer, hesitantly stretching out her hand to touch his face.  
  
Bill watched with surprise and curiosity as The Doctor drew back, pulling Bill with him as he tried to avoid the woman's touch. A deep frown rested on his lips, and he seemed angrier than usual. "I don't look like him!” He snapped, anger clear in his voice. “In fact, I'm quite certain I look _nothing_ like when I last met you, Jo Jones!"  
  
However, the woman, Jo Jones, didn’t seem fazed by his angry demeanor. Instead of getting upset, she just glared at him in return, reaching out once more and finally managing to grab his unoccupied left arm. "Well, last time I saw you, you nearly blew me up! If it hadn't been for that damn ledline coffin, I'd be dead! And Sarah too! You also didn't have a companion...said they were on a honeymoon, both of them, if I remember correctly. At this, the woman turned towards Bill, Her harsh frown she’d shown against The Doctor transforming into a bright smile. "Hello there dear. I'm Jo Jones. Who are you?" She offered a hand, the one she wasn’t holding on to The Doctor with, and Bill gladly accepted the handshake, bending free of The Doctor’s iron grip on her arm.  
  
"I'm Bill Potts." She smiled, feeling warm and safe in the presence of the small woman. "You know The Doctor, don’t you? How?" Bill couldn’t help but asked, curiosity winning over everything else as this was the first person she'd encountered who recognised The Doctor and addressed him as such in public.  
  
"Oh, I used to work for him! I was his assistant, back in the seventies when he worked as a Scientific Adviser for UNIT. That’s United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, by the way, or Unified Intelligence Taskforce nowadays. Of course, this was all long ago. Back then he had another face and he acted and dressed a lot like...well, like he does now, I suppose." Pausing, she gave The Doctor, who stood passive by Bill's side, another glare. "That’s what I meant when I said you look like him, silly! Last time you were so different, but now you look like The Doctor, My Doctor, again."  
  
Stiffening, the muscles in The Doctor's face and body suddenly seemed to malfunction for a short moment when he heard her words. Eyes blinking spasmodically and his hands opening and closing over and over again, The Doctor only seemed capable of stopping as Jo laid both her hands on his face and forced him to face her. She was standing on her tiptoes to reach, but managed to produce an aura of seriousness and respect nonetheless. "Hey, listen to me, silly. It doesn't matter. It didn’t matter to Sarah, or The Brig, or Benton and Yates and....and it won’t matter to me. Ever.” She looked him in his eyes and Bill stepped away a little, leaning against the wall of the coffee shop and licking on her ice cream in an attempt to give them more privacy.  
  
After a few moments, Jo broke their eye contact, and as her hands fell away from The Doctor’s face The Doctor hired his own, pulling her into a tight hug. It surprised Bill, for she had never seen him initiate a hug before - but on the other hand, it was easy enough to figure out that Jo Jones was someone very special, and that for her The Doctor would do very special things.

 

“You were always very clever. Always my kind and clever little Jo. And I’m proud of you, don’t ever think anything else. Because if you do then you are a pudding brain, and we already established that you are a very very clever woman” As they stand and hug, attracting some sideway glances from people passing by, The Doctor whisperes words of comfort and encouragement in Jo’s ear. Seeing them and the way they act makes Bill wonder, if one day that will be her. If it was all that the wonderful, amazing times she spent  with The Doctor would amount to. Laughing with some random teenager and telling him or her of how ‘The Doctor used to give me private classes back in University, even though I wasn't a student!”

If all the hurt and love and hate and appreciation they held for each other would end in what she saw before her.

 

Somehow, the prospect of it didn’t seem so bad.

 

Finally, Jo breaks away from  The Doctor’s grasp, a motherly smile on her lips. “I’m afraid I must go now, I am supposed to meet Santiago, my grandchild, by the Roman Bath’s soon.” She looked at The Doctor, and Bill could immediately tell that she truly did not want to go, leaving The Doctor so soon after they’d been reunited. “You and your assistant is welcome to join us, if you wish? I’m sure Santiago would like to meet you again.” There was hope in her eyes, but the happiness  disappeared as The Doctor didn’t immediately accept the invitation, instead frowning and glancing over at Bill.

 

Seeing him watching her, Bill suddenly realised what it was all about. The Doctor _wanted_ to visit the Roman Bath’s with Jo and her grandchild, but he had promised a day out with Bill and did not want for her to feel pushed to the side.

 

Grinning broadly, Bill decided to take matters into her own hands, right where The Doctor had out them. “Well, we better be going then?” She asked, freeing herself from the wall she’d been leaning on and approaching The Doctor and Jo. “Don’t want your grandson to be worried because we are late!”

 

 Bill had been uncertain at first if it was the right decision to make, and if the woman would find it intrusive and rude of her to assume she could come along as well. However, the smile that the older woman spotted as she heard what Bill was saying was enough to convince her that she’d made exactly the right choice.

 

“Oh, absolutely, darling. Let us go!” Jo grabbed onto The Doctor's arm as they started walking, smiling lovingly at The Doctor, who smiled back.

  
Bill only observed, happy. The Doctor deserved happiness, and it was more than obvious that this Miss Jo Jones made him happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment and give kudos! <3
> 
> Bath is a terrific city to visit and the Roman Bath, today as museeum, is very impressive. Absolute recommending it. The cafe that sold Bill and The Doctor ice cream also exist in real life and make very yummy ice cream!


End file.
